Yeah, it's a gosling. Most likely a girl. Removed from negligent parents - well, mum continued sitting for 7 days after this thing hatched. Dad was not very attentive or protective, and another of our females was having a go at the gosling, so it's been up here with a chick for company the last week or so, and now has some ducklings for company.

The difference in behaviour between a gosling and a duckling is quite remarkable. I appear at the pen, and the ducklings play a game of "how many ducklings fit in a corner", and the gosling just sits there and blinks at you. Take them out of the cage and pop them on the floor - ducklings run a mile, the gosling follows you around - across the lawn, across the driveway. Dangerous game though, as the cats are very very tempted by it.

One of almost everything, a veritable rainbow of chickens. And Project Motzle.

Love that pile-o-ducks photo I am seriously considering hatching some ducks at some point. Anyone know of a good online resource that will tell me what breeds are available in NZ....? (Aside from me asking tonnes of questions here, which will probably also happen!)

Seventeen beautiful chooks in a rainbow of breeds and Silver Appleyard ducks!

not all the nz poultry standard birds are here though - there's no call type ducks (the bantam sized ones), unless someone is developing them on the quiet!No Bali's (as far as I know - but you could make them by crossing a Crested with a Runner and then spending another 10 years getting the type right)I need the standards in front of me to rattle off the ones I don't think are here

No idea about online resources, but the Silver Appleyards get a big tick from me. Our girls lay 5-6 large white eggs per week. The ducklings grow up fast and big (good if you're into eating your own excess drakes). And of course they're pretty to look at too.

One of almost everything, a veritable rainbow of chickens. And Project Motzle.

Cheers guys, I ended up looking at the rare breeds website and the silver appleyards stood out as a possible good option so good to hear that confirmed. We would definitely be looking at using them for both eggs and meat.

SO, is there anything I need to know about hatching duck eggs under a chook, anything you need to do differently? And if I normally put 8 chicken eggs under a broody how many duck eggs do you reckon she could handle? Half a dozen...?

Also, something that has always confused me and might be a stupid question - why don't domestic ducks fly away....? Are they just too big for their wings like some larger chooks...?

Seventeen beautiful chooks in a rainbow of breeds and Silver Appleyard ducks!

Sweet cheers, I think I might wait for one of the bigger chooks to go broody so I can get a few more under. Although most of them are untested mothers so not sure starting them on ducks is a good plan - they'll probably be very confused on hatch day!

Seventeen beautiful chooks in a rainbow of breeds and Silver Appleyard ducks!

sewren wrote:Although most of them are untested mothers so not sure starting them on ducks is a good plan - they'll probably be very confused on hatch day!

I did a first-timer on ducks. Hatched half under her and half in the incubator, then grafted the incubator lot onto her as well. She spent the next six weeks chasing after them like a headless chook - they completed ignored her when they didn't need her for heat. That was 12 months ago. She hasn't dared go broody since!

One of almost everything, a veritable rainbow of chickens. And Project Motzle.